Inanimae

The Inanimae are immortal faerie spirits that bind themselves to inanimate things rather than human bodies. Most Inanimae are linked to a certain element: air, earth, fire, water, and plant life. The newest breed of Inanimae link themselves to non-living representations of humanity, like dolls, puppets and mannequins. All Inanimae are divided into different phyla, like kiths, and specialize in a particular "Sliver", the Inanimae version of Arts.

All Inanimae have an "Anchor", like a rock or a tree, and they are protected from Banality while they remain within it. Those who still have natural Anchors are called "Gladelings", those whose Anchors have been altered by mortal (or other) hands are called "Krofted". The Gladelings and the Krofted have differing views, much as the Seelie and Unseelie of the Kithain.

In order to leave their Anchors (the inanimate thing to which they are tied) an Inanimae must cloak their dreamform in a semblance of a mortal body, called a "Husk", or else succumb to Banality. Some Inanimae become quite skilled at crafting these Husks, and some have only barely recognizeable human features in their Husks.

Many of them are still sleeping and their Seeming (named Jeu) indicate how long an Inanimae has been awake in the mundane world. Some of the Grumps would probably remember the Courts of the Dark Ages, when they were divided between the four seasons. During the Dark Ages, they were more varied, but they are now divided between 5 Phyla:

Phyla

Glomes

The Empire of Stones

Kuberas

The Empire of Seeds

Mannikins

The Empire of Dolls

Ondines

The Empire of Tears

Parosemes

The Empire of Skies

Solimonds

The Empire of Flames